With a Little Faith and a Little Soul
by hattalove
Summary: We all saw Kurt hug Mrs. Doosenberry. Let's say he was the one to run and tell Coach Beiste - this is what happened afterwards. Puck/Kurt friendship.


Kurt understands the minute he pulls up in front of the house. The paintjob has obviously seen better days, the garden pathway is covered in old leaves, grass overgrown – it suddenly makes a lot more sense, the way Puck would always come over to their house instead of inviting them to his; the way Finn would never ask.

As he slams the door of the Navigator shut and locks it, Kurt tentatively looks around. The other houses down the street seem to be doing even worse, some of their walls beaten down to only bricks, windows broken, back yards cluttered with trash.

He returns his gaze to his target. There's an old Honda parked in the driveway, its purple color flaking and rusty in places, but Kurt can still see it's well taken care of. It makes him smile as he walks into the yard, sidestepping a small pink bike.

He doesn't know what he expects when he knocks on the weatherworn black door, and he doesn't have time to think about it. In just seconds, it flies open, but it's not the woman he'd expected standing on the other side.

A small girl, maybe nine years old, is glaring back at him. The first thing Kurt notices are her eyes – big and brown, like pools of melted chocolate, and he almost shudders as they stare him down. He tries to muster up a smile.

"Hey," he says, leaning down a little. "You must be Sarah."

She nods warily, tiny knuckles whitening as she grips the door. "Who are you?" she asks.

"I'm Kurt. I'm a friend of Puck's...from glee club?" he adds uncertainly, the little girl's expression making him uneasy. She looks more serious than any child her age should have a right to be.

Thankfully, at the mention of her brother, she smiles and it's like the sun has risen on her face. Kurt can immediately see features similar to Puck's, the way her eyebrows shoot up, the corners of her eyes crinkling just a little.

"I know you!" she exclaims, and that can only mean one thing – Puck's mentioned him. Kurt feels inexcplicably warm.

Sarah steps away from the doorway, silently inviting him in, like she's done this a million times. There's a little crease on her forehead, shoulders hunching as she thinks about something, then looks back at him.

"What are you doing here?" she says.

Kurt tries for another smile, feels it effortlessly bloom on his face, all the strain gone. "I actually came to see you mom. Is she home?"

Sarah's lips thin a little, and something dark passes through her expression, but before Kurt can ask anything, she's nodding and stomping up the stairs. Kurt can hear a door opening, then closing, then a bang, and it doesn't take long for Mrs. Puckerman to slowly come down the stairs, eyeing him a little suspiciously, standing in her hallway with his jacket still on.

"Mrs. Puckerman," he smiles. She doesn't smile back, just nods, tired lines etched so deep in her face they look like shadows.

"You a friend of Noah's?" she asks, voice deep and raspy, and Kurt smells cigarette smoke when she comes closer. She motions for him to follow her into the kitchen, and he steps into the small room, almost surprised at how clean it is; there are a few empty glasses in the sink and a coffe stain on the tablecloth, but other than that...it even smells like lemon antiseptic.

Mrs. Puckerman sits, her grips on the chair turning her knuckles white, and Kurt does the same, hoping she didn't want him to stand. When she raises her eyes to his, Kurt fights back a flinch. They're the same warm brown both Puck and Sarah's are, but they look almost wild, their spark ragged and fading; bleak.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, looking like she's fighting a yawn, and Kurt suddenly feels bad as he realizes – she was probably sleeping after a night shift.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Mrs. Puckerman," he folds his hands in his lap, unsure in the unfamiliar territory, "I...actually came to invite you to our graduation ceremony."

She immediately frowns, so deep it makes her look at least ten years older, and digs around in a purse that's sitting on a chair next to her. In only a few practiced moves, she has a cigarette lit, her face turned towards the open window.

"Why?" she rasps, words hard and stone cold, and Kurt has no idea how to get out of this.

"Um...well," he almost stutters, and mentally tells himself to pull it together, "it was actually Puck's football coach—I mean, Coach Beiste's idea, because he got the geography grade so late, Coach was worried you didn't get an invitation and just wanted to remind you, so I volunteered, in case, um..." he trails off, observing the change in the woman in front of him. He can see her knuckles go white, the grip almost snapping her cigarette in two, as she slowly turns to face him.

"What are you talking about? Noah didn't pass the geography test."

Kurt frowns. "Yes, he did. Coach got him another try and he got a C-," and just then, it dawns on him. "He didn't tell you." He didn't think you'd care, he doesn't add, and makes a mental note to invite Puck over for some bonding and a game of Halo as soon as he has the opportunity.

Mrs. Puckerman soundlessly shakes her head, putting her cigarette out on the metal table leg. Kurt fights hard not to raise his eyebrows.

"He's graduating," she says, and it's not exactly a question, but she's not stating a fact, either. Something's changed in her eyes, they look pained, hope and fear warring in them.

Kurt allows himself to smile a little, feeling some of the tension lift as he nods. "Yes, ma'am."

"And he wants me there?" she frowns, her hand creeping towards her purse again, but she catches herself halfway.

Kurt's heart suddenly aches for the whole Puckerman family. There seems to be so much pain between them, even if they love each other, and he wishes he could do something else to fix it.

"I'm sure he does," Kurt says, in the end, trying to put as much conviction and underlying authority into his voice as he dares. Mrs. Puckerman gives him a silent nod, and then Kurt watches, fascinated, as she smiles.

It's almost the same as it was with Sarah – her whole face somehow lights up, worry lines smoothing out, even her skin seems to gain a little more color in the afernoon sunlight flooding the kitchen. She looks younger, beautiful, and when she reaches across the table to cover Kurt's hand with her own, he doesn't even think of protesting. He's the only one who's there right now; he's glad he is.

Mrs. Puckerman is proud of her son, and Kurt knows Puck desperately needs that.

* * *

After the ceremony, most of the students all but run out of the auditorium, eager to celebrate with their friends.

Kurt is not one of them – he has places to be, but before that, as he tries to subtly kick all the discarded mortaboards backstage to prevent people from finding and wearing them later, his eyes search for Puck.

He finds him right outside the teachers' row, talking to Coach Beiste, practically beaming with his mom by his side, and feels a smile tug at his lips.

Right then, he's pretty much the only one on stage, trying to clean up a fashion catastrophe; Rachel and Finn have already gone to change and get their letters, and the rest of the glee club was kidnapped by the juniors – which is why, when Coach points over her shoulder in his direction, Kurt stops what he's doing and cocks his head.

In a split second, after turning to his mom and softly asking something, Puck is running down the stairs back towards the stage, towards Kurt, jumping over the last rows of seats and probably tearing his robe – which, okay, not actually bad, because it's a horrible, unfashionable piece of garbage—

And then Puck's arms are around Kurt, tight, squeezing the life out of him, and he feels a smile curve into his shoulder. It's doesn't feel as shocking as it could, with all the hurts of the past no longer between them. It's just...warm. Warm, and safe, somehow, and Kurt feels it to the tips of his fingers.

As the lights start dimming and everybody but Mrs. Puckerman starts making their way towards the exit, Puck lets go, then nudges Kurt's shoulder with his forehead and whispers "Thanks," with a laugh.

When they walk outside, finding people miling about and posing for pictures, all Kurt can see is a swarm of red and the sun shining down on all of them. He doesn't know what the future holds, not yet – but, as Puck yanks him to stand in front of a camera and throws an arm around his shoulder, somehow, Kurt can only imagine it bright.


End file.
